Treatment of iron or steel or other articles



H. C. BAINES.

TREATMENT 0F IRON 0R STEEL 0R OTHER ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED ALIG.I0'| ISIS Igwgm l Patented May I3, 1919.

I 5wIII 'f I@ UW@ IIIIIIIIlIl' ga Q7 C @W7/5.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oriurcij.

HENRY C. .'BAINES, 0F SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY .MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE CLEVELAND METAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A

CORPORATION OF OHIO.

TREATMENT 0F IRON OR STEEL OR OTHER ARTICLES.

renacer.,

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented May 13, 1919.

Application illed August 10, 1916. Serial No. 114,196.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. BAIrms, a subject of the King of England, residing at Springfield, Mass., in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, U. S. A., have invented certain new and useful Imrovements in the Treatment of Iron or teel or other Articles, of which the following is a specification.

rll`his invention relates to the treatment of iron or steel or articles having a surface of iron or steel.

The treatment referred to consists in effecting a deposit of phosphate of iron, or a deposit consisting of a mixture of normal ferrie and ferrous phosphates of iron, upon the surfaces of the articles; and the general objects of the invention are to accomplish this result in a much shorter time than that heretofore required, to insure a relatively deep penetration of the deposit into the iron of which the articles are composed' or with which they are surfaced, to prevent the evaporation of the solution em loyed for coating the said articles, to retain the liberated hydrogen (thereby insuring a more vigorous reaction than has hitherto been attained to protect the solution and its contents rom `oxygen such as contained in the atmosphere (thereby preserving the solution in working condition), and to increase the solubility of the compounds employed in. the reaction. A further object of the invention is to employ in connection with the rust-proofing treatment a controlling or regulating agent, such, for instance, as iron fl1ngs,'which will coperate in the production of a deposit or coating of normal ferrif.l and ferrous phosphates of iron.

In realizing my invention, the articles to be treated are subjected to the action of a dilute solution of phosphoric acid (preferabl in the presence of iron filings or pow er) in a sealed vessel and the vessel and the contents are heated to a temperature which is generally above that required to bring the solution to the boiling point under ordinary atmospheric conditions. In practice, I generally heat the vessel and its contents to a temperature suicient to develop therewithin a pressure of several atmospl'ieres; in fact, the pressure may be as high Iron in the form of filings or powder 2 ounces. Phosphoric acid, concentrated 4c fluid ounces, Water .--r 160 Huid ounces.

The above solution or a dilute solution of ordinary phosphoric acid and water in proper proportions, together with the iron filings or powder or other controlling or ,l regulating agent may be placed in a stationary, rotatab e or other enameled or other sealed vessel and heated to the desired temperature. The articles to be treated, having been previously cleaned in any suit able manner are then suspended in the solution. The heat incident to the boiling operation is confined within the vessel, preventing evaporation, enabling the `subjection of the articles to such temperatures as ma be desired or necessary, andfinspr'ing suc pressure within the vessel as "t' cause a greater degree of penetration of 'the solution and coating into the metal than'is accomplished by the processes of treatment now in use. By virtue of the deeper penetration of the solution into the metal, Iprovide an eicient and durable coating of the nature hereinhefore` stated. The .articles thus treated, are then withdrawn, dried and oiled for use.

The coating or deposit formedupon the articles may be strengthened orthickened, according to the'proportions of the in redients. Should thecoating be too thic the excess may be removed by subjecting the coated article to the action of cold water. If it be desired to vary the tone or color of the protective` coating, the articles may be subjected to a suitable solution for the pur- `1s a solution of a chemical or chemicals that will react with the coating to alter the chemical composition of such coating and the color and texture thereof. Solutions of lsulfids, copper salts, tannin, etc., may be employed for this purpose.

The particular means for heating the solution is immaterial, for any suitable heating means may be employed. If desired, an electric current may be passed through the dilute solution of ordinary phosphoric acid with or without the aforesaid controlling or regulating agent.

f desired, the coating solution may consist of liquid concentratedphosphoric acid; manganese dioxid and water in suitable proportions; or zinc, phosphoric acid and water in suit/able proportions may be employed.; or other suitablel compounds or solutions may be employed.

In the drawing there is shown a vertical sectional view through a vessel' containing a solution of the character described and showing the connections whereby a ,current of electricity may be passed through the solution, art of the means for supplying the current eing illustrated diagrammatically. In the said drawing, 1 denotes the body of the receptacle, which will be of conducting material, said body being provided with a flange 2 at the top to which the cover 3 may be secured by means of swinging bolts 4 ivoted in recesses within said ange and aving wing nuts 5 for drawing the cover securely to its seat. A gasket 6 is shown as interposed between the cover and the ange.

The vessel is shown as provided with inwardly projecting ledges 7 forming seats for a rod 8 of conducting material, the ends of the rod resting. upon insulating material 9.

l 10 denotes any convenient source of electric energy, 11 a conductor leading therefrom to the wall of the tankand being electrically connected thereto, as indicated at la. Opposite the connection 1a the tank wall is provided with a bushing 12 of insulatin material through which the conductor 1 a extends, said conductor leading to the source of electrical energy 10. An ordinary type of switch is indicated at 11b. The solution and regulating or controlling agent having been introduced into the tank, the articles to be treated (indicated at 13, 14 and 15) are suspended in the solution from the rod 8 and the cover applied so as to seal the vessel or tank. The tank or vessel is 'then heated to the desired tem erature and a current of 1 electricity may e passed therethrough by r`closing the switch 11.

same to the action of a solution of phosphoric acid under pressure greater than that of the atmosphere.

2. The treatment of iron or steel for the urpose of preventing the oxidation or rustmg thereof which comprises subjecting the same to the action of a phosphate solution under pressure greater than that of the atmosphere.

3. The treatment of iron or steel for the purpose of preventing the oxidation or rusting thereof which comprises subjecting the same to the action of a phosphate solution with the substantial exclusion of oxygen.

4. The treatment of iron or steel for the purpose of preventing the oxidation or rusting thereof which comprises subjectin the same to the action of a solution of phosp oric acid with the practical exclusion of oxy en.

5. The treatment of iron or steel w ich comprises subjecting the same to avsolution of p osphoric acid and a controlling or regu lating .agent in a sealed-vessel the temperature whereof is in excess of that of the normal boiling point of such solution.

6. The treatment of iron or steel which comprises subjectin the same to a phosphate solution in a seale vessel whereby oxygen is substantially excluded and hydrogen retained.

7. The treatment of iron or steel which comprises subjectin the same to. a solution of phosphoric acid 1n a sealed vessel heated to a temperature whereby the pressure within such vessel 'will be in excess of that of the atmosphere and passing an electric current throu h the solution and the articles to be coate 8. The treatment of iron or steel which comprises subjecting the same to a phosphate solution in a sealed vessel and subjecting the coating thus produced to a solution capable of chemically combining with the coating to alter the color or texture thereof.

9. The treatment of iron or steel which comprises subjecting the same to a phosphate solution under pressure.

10, The treatment of iron or steel which comprises subjecting the same to a phosphate solution and subjecting the coating thus produced to a solution ca able of chemically combining with the coating to alter the color or texture thereof.

11. The treatment of iron or steel which comprises subjecting the same to a phosphate solution under pressure and subjecting the coating thus produced to a solution capable of chemically combining with the coating to alter the color or texture thereof.

12. The treatment of iron or steel which comprises subjecting the same to a phosphate solution in the presence of the metallic base of said solution, the aforesaid operations `being carried out in a sealed vessel heated to a temperature suflicient to produce a pressure Within said vessel greater than that of the atmosphere.

13. The treatment of iron or steel which 5 comprises subjecting the same to the action of a phosphate solution under pressure greater than that of the atmosphere, passim an electric current through such solutlon an the article or articles to `be coated, and sub- 10 jecting the article orarticles to a 4solution capable of chemically combining with the coatin thereon t0 -alter the color or texture thereo In testimony whereof I aix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY C. BAINES.

Witnesses: R. BAINES, Amos K. HOBBY. 

